Green Room

Re: Rasmussen’s Abortion Poll

The American electorate has suddenly and overwhelmingly embraced the pro-choice position on abortion (54/38), if a new Rasmussen poll is to be believed. This would mark an implausible reversal compared to other national surveys conducted just a few months ago. In May, Gallup found that the percentage of self-described “pro-choice” Americans has plummeted to a new low (41 percent), with pro-lifers representing the majority view (50 percent). In August, a CNN national poll also showed pro-life Americans outnumbering pro-choicers (52/44), with women splitting evenly on the overall question. So what explains Rasmussen’s latest data? I think two elements are at play here:

(1) Conservatives are demoralized and regrouping right now. Just a hunch, but I suspect they’re less likely than ever to answer polling calls at this point in time, whereas the victorious side is eager to talk to pollsters. That’s basic human nature.

(2) In the CNN poll, which resulted in a pro-life majority, mind you, the overwhelming consensus of respondents (83/14) was that legalized abortion should be an option in the relatively rare circumstance of pregnancy caused by rape. Thanks to Todd Akin and (to a lesser extent) Richard Mourdock – and, of course, the media — Americans have been hearing a lot about pro-life male politicians bungling explanations about why virtually all abortions should be illegal. “Well, I don’t agree with that,” people think to themselves. This is why it is imperative for pro-life candidates — men especially — to learn how to talk about the issue in a way that isn’t alienating and scary, even to people who might otherwise think of themselves as pro-life.

Blowback

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We just spent the last three months talking about how inacurrate the polls were and got our asses handed to us. Are we really starting this up again? I want with all my heart to believe that we’re not losing the cultural battle on Right to Life. But I’m not ready to jump back on board the bandwagon of deconstructing polls to try and prove they’re wrong.

(1) Conservatives are demoralized and regrouping right now. Just a hunch, but I suspect they’re less likely than ever to answer polling calls at this point in time, whereas the victorious side is eager to talk to pollsters. That’s basic human nature.

I, for one, don’t ever care to hear about anyone’s “hunches” or “instinct” or “theories” regarding social research. Not after the Unskewed Election.

If there’s any doubt to be cast on this poll, it’s that Rasmussen, after blowing this election, needs to rework his polling methodology.

Americans have been hearing a lot about pro-life male politicians bungling explanations about why virtually all abortions should be illegal. “Well, I don’t agree with that,” people think to themselves.

posted at 4:59 pm on November 15, 2012 by Guy Benson

American’s are pro-lifers who don’t believe virtually all abortions should be illegal? Ok, that makes sense.

Agreed partially on point 1, and agreed fully on point 2. If there’s one thing this means though, we need to do a lot more work, be a lot more vocal, and a lot more visible (i.e., engage, not retreat, on social issues) so that our support hardens.

This is another poll that we should not dismiss or ignore. Because it shows just how effective the Left’s propaganda has been over the last few years, and especially during this election.

The Left has seen poll after poll for over a decade showing Americans becoming more pro-life. We took this for granted, but they didn’t. They determined to move the numbers by highlighting the extremes (rape rape rape), portraying abortion as as civil rights and “women’s health” issue, and framing the HHS mandate as about access to contraception while those of us saying it is about abortion really don’t want contraception either. These were the messages that OFA pounded to women this year.

This poll may be an outlier, but we should not assume that it is. We should figure out how to push back against the propaganda.

3. Republicans, petrified by the recent election and believing the rhetoric coming out of some Republican leaders that they need to “throw out” social issues like support for abortion and opposition to same-sex marriage in order to have “their guy” elected(in other words, become just like democrats and be permissive in ALL things), are doing just that. RINO’s are not only the people in office.

Americans are fundamentally freedom-loving people. Part of that disposition is not wanting holy rollers telling them what medical procedures they can have.

Social “conservatism” is a dead philosophy. Social “conservatives” will never again hold the sway over culture and politics that they enjoyed under Reagan and W.

Armin Tamzarian on November 15, 2012 at 6:14 PM

First, abortion is not a medical procedure.

Second, I am not so sure that Americans are, fundamentally, a freedom loving people anymore. I believe we have substantial evidence that government “benefits” are more important to a significant portion of the population than their freedom.

Second, I am not so sure that Americans are, fundamentally, a freedom loving people anymore. I believe we have substantial evidence that government “benefits” are more important to a significant portion of the population than their freedom.

Call abortion whatever you want. The bottom line is that, like all medicine, it should be between the patient and doctor, not Washington blowhards who want to micromanage people’s lives.

And if you have to choose between two big-government types who want to rule your life from thousands of miles away, why wouldn’t you choose the one that will at least give you free stuff?

Yup, throw the social conservatives under the bus. A great many of the trolls are loving it here tonight but I can tell you when the stuff hits the fan and churches are your only refuge, we will still let you in. We already knows how this ends and it ain’t pretty for all you naysayers……….

The wrong questions are always asked. Every abortion either destroys an innocent living human being or it does not. How that human being came into existence or how far along he/she is in age doesn’t change that basic issue. I’d guess that 95% of the people in the United States have not thought through this issue carefully at all.

Are you opposed to someone who has been raped having access to abortion will elicit an entirely different response than are you pro life or pro choice ?

Basilsbest on November 15, 2012 at 7:33 PM

So? AVOID THE FREAKING QUESTION. Politely, but artfully do so. That IS an option, you know.

The anti-American MSM has taken firm control of the issue, turning what’s already a political football into a political land mine field. And the RINOs are too scared to walk the field and are urging everyone to go down the wrong path.

Call abortion slavery whatever you want. The bottom line is that, like all medicine property, it should be between the patient property owner and doctor his property, not Washington blowhards who want to micromanage people’s lives.